Pumpkin Cheesecake with Bourbon Butter Sauce

Cheesecakes meets pumpkin pie in this rich, creamy, wonderful dessert. A perfect blend of spices enlivens the cheesecake, and a buttery caramel sauce tops it. Make sure to tightly wrap the foil around the springform pan so that water doesn't seep in while the cheesecake bakes.

Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp grated orange peel
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling

3 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups canned pure pumpkin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Sauce

1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 Tbsp bourbon whiskey or 1 Tbsp Vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350. Spray bottom of 9 inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray (do not spray sides). Wrap outside of pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. In medium bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, orange peel and 1 tsp nutmeg. Add 1/2 cup melted butter. Stir until crumbs are well moistened. Press mixture evenly over bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of Springform pan. Bake 10 min or until golden brown.

In large bowl, best cream cheese at med-low speed until smooth. Beat in 1 cup sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined. Beat in sour cream , pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, salt and 1/4 tsp nutmeg. Do not overbeat. Pour into springform pan.

Place springform pan in large shallow roasting pan or broiler pan. Fill roasting pan with enough hot water to come 1/2 inch up sides of springform pan.

Bake 65 min or until edges are pulled and top looks dull and is dry to the touch. Center should be less set than edges and will move when pan is tapped. It should not ripple as if liquid.

Remove from oven. Remove from water bath. Cool completely on wire rack. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.